Seanad debates

Wednesday, 22 November 2017

11:30 am

Photo of Jerry ButtimerJerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Tánaiste to the House. Senator Ó Ríordáin should never apologise for Fine Gael Senators. We are here to support our Minister, who is a reforming Minister, who has done nothing wrong and who had the zeal to do what was not mentioned by Senator Ó Ríordáin. Her best defence is the establishment of the tribunal by her in a coalition Government and the introduction of approximately 27 pieces of legislation. I will not take lectures about the high moral ground from people who can come in here without any responsibility. As Members of this House, our purpose is to get to the truth of matters. The purpose of the tribunal is to get to the truth. That tribunal was initiated by this Minister and no other Minister. Lest Members have forgotten, the Tánaiste has not been Minister for Justice and Equality for a number of months now. The Toland report was initiated by the Tánaiste. The Department of Justice and Equality and not the Tánaiste must answer for matters relating to the Department.

As I said earlier on the Order of Business, all of us have an obligation and duty to get to the truth for Sergeant Maurice McCabe and his family. In this regard we either have process and substance, or we can have a media witch hunt, political blood letting or the calls for a head, which the Labour Party is particularly good at doing. We all remember what it did previously. What is important is that the Department of Justice and Equality is reformed. The Government and the Tánaiste should not cross the line in this matter.

I refer the House to the Tánaiste's remarks in her opening statement that the legal advice from the Attorney General's office was that it would be wrong for her to interfere in the legal approach being taken by the Garda. Had she done so, we would be having a different debate now. The hypocrisy is on one side. The Tánaiste is trying to establish the facts in terms of her role as Minister for Justice and Equality. It is the Government that is putting information in the ether. In regard to the question posed in some of the remarks made in this House, it was the first opportunity she got on her return to provide the information. We have nothing to hide. The Taoiseach is on record that Sergeant McCabe is a decent, honourable man and in regard to the need to get to the truth. On this side of the House, there is nothing to hide. We want to know all the facts. The Tánaiste, under the coalition of Fine Gael and the Labour Party in government, initiated the whistleblower legislation. I will give credit to the Labour Party for being a good partner in government. However, I will not accept Senator Ó Ríordáin's remarks about the Tánaiste's best defence being X. The Tánaiste's record of achievement in government, in terms of her being a reforming Minister, is available for all to see.

Has anybody here read the email? The last line states that neither the Attorney General nor the Minister has any function relating to the evidence that a party to a commission of investigation may adduce.

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